Barred Owl

(Strix varia)

Where: Townsend, TN • Cades Cove • Great Smoky Mts. Nat. ParkNotes: In the late morning hours, we decided to take a short hike on a woodland trail near the mid-section of the Cades Cove Loop Road. Not far down the path something flew into the tree canopy above. We searched for a few minutes, but to no avail. Then the large bird once again flew a short distance overhead, revealing its position. What we thought at first might be a hawk, turned out to be a Barred Owl settling in for the day. Fortunately, a last minute decision to carry the long heavy lens on the hike, turned out to be a good one. The owl sat high on perpendicular branch of an old White Pine and we soon found the best vantage point to photograph it from. It took some maneuvering to find a viewing portal between the limbs and twigs of the lower canopy. After a couple of yawns and a final glance at us below, the owl was soon bored with our presence and drifted off to sleep.